A new age has dawned. New alliances have formed. Old grudges have been forgotten. But darkness looms on the edges of dark space, and it has sworn none shall escape the coming fire... AU post-Halo 3, pre-Mass Effect

Author's Note: Greetings. Sorry about the wait but playing Halo 4 and Mass Effect may have gotten in the way. Yes, I actually own copies of the games now. Still don't own the franchises though. People are complaining that I didn't finish Tuchanka. The reason I didn't finish it is that from then on it was basically the same, up to and including Mordin's death, and I couldn't be bothered writing it. On with the attack on the Citadel, which I'm having to do from memory because my Internet is being stupid.

On the Citadel

"That isn't good. We may be a Councillor down already," Fred commented, frowning.

"We assume he's still alive until we find evidence to the contrary. Let's go," Shepard ordered.

Dressed mostly in black, with a black visor and glowing blue eyes, the figure quietly drew a sword from his back.

"Kai Leng, leader of the Separatists. He's going to try to assassinate the Councillor," Fred warned, already running for the door.

Shepard flared her biotics, blasting the window apart before leaping down. Drawing her assault rifle, she aimed at Leng, who moved so that the Councillor was between them. A moment later, Garrus, Javik, Liara, James and EDI rushed into the room.

Leng smirked at Shepard, raising his hand, palm glowing. He fired at the Councillor, already turning his gun toward Shepard's team when the shot vanished and caused a humanoid orange shield to flare. The shot caused Fred's Active Camouflage to deactivate, revealing him standing between the Councillor and Kai Leng.

"Surprise," Fred commented before punching Leng in the stomach hard enough to send him flying across the room.

Fred walked after him, pausing when Leng leapt up and drew his sword. With an unseen smirk, Fred drew his two combat knives. When Leng leapt at him, Fred raised his left hand to block while slashing with his right at the assassin's stomach. Leng leapt back, causing the knife to slash his armour as opposed to his flesh. Leng attempted to dart around the larger SPARTAN but Fred lashed out with a kick, sending the assassin flying over the banister and down the stairs.

Leng pushed himself up and ran away from the approaching Shepard. He leapt out of the hangar, landing on the car below, which started to fly off. A moment later, a pair of CUFS Pelicans showed up, disgorging CUFS marines into the hangar.

"Follow that aircar," Fred ordered the pilot, pointing at the fleeing vehicle.

"Yes, sir," the pilot answered, swinging the Pelican away.

As they left, they saw more Confederacy dropships arrive and drop off more troops. After a few minutes of pursuit, the Pelican slowed down and began to descend.

"This is as close as I can get you. With the number of Atlas mechs down there, I can't go further without risking getting shot down," the pilot called over his shoulder as he turned the tail toward the walkway.

"That's fine. Good luck," Shepard said as she jumped out.

"You too, Commander," the pilot responded before soaring away.

Shepard's team advanced along the walkway, shooting any enemies they encountered on the way. As they rounded a corner, they found the bridge ahead of them swarming with Atlas mechs. Before they could come up with a plan, four CUFS Broadsword fighters swept by, wiping out the mechs and reducing parts of the bridge to rubble. Fortunately there was still enough of a bridge to cross. They reached the other side in time to see Kai Leng and some other Cerberus Separatists enter an elevator toward the other Councillors' location. The Normandy ground team ran into the other elevator and began to go after Leng while Bailey used C-Sec codes to try and slow Leng's elevator down.

After dealing with multiple hostiles in the lift shaft, the team exited the lift and proceeded to the Councillors' location. They arrived in time to see the escape shuttle get shot to pieces. When the Councillors, escorted by Ashley Williams, Melik Vaator and the asari Velia T'Kari, turned back toward the door, they came face to face with Shepard's group and EDI locking the door behind them.

"You don't want to go that way, trust me," Shepard told them.

The other three Spectres stepped forward, shielding the three Councillors.

"Why not?" T'Kari challenged.

"Separatists were right behind us. You open that door and they'll get us," Shepard explained.

"Don't be ridiculous. Shepard's clearly working with them, she's trapped us here to kill us," Udina warned, causing the three Spectres to tense.

"What's that over there?" Tevos interrupted them, looking into the distance.

"Cerberus Separatist shuttles, five of them," Fred reported, using his visor's zoom to identify them.

"We need to get the Council out of here. Stand aside, Shepard," Ashley ordered.

"No need. Just sit back and watch the fireworks," Fred remarked.

The others, not having the ability to zoom in, looked in the direction of the shuttles, confused. A moment later, all five shuttles exploded, and five Banshees raced by through the explosions.

"How did they get in? The Presidium can't be accessed from space," Sparatus snarled, suspecting the worst.

"Cerberus Separatists blew hole in outside. Received notification some time ago," Vaator reminded the turian.

"We need to leave. I'm opening the door," Udina stated, walking to a control panel.

Fred, James, Javik and EDI immediately turned their guns toward the door while the others turned them on Udina. Ashley stepped between the Councillor and her former team mates, gun raised. Shepard paused before coming to a decision.

"Sorry about this," Shepard said to her fellow Spectre.

Her biotics flared, before she threw out her hand, lifting Ashley into the air. She brought up her pistol, aimed at Udina. In an effort to resolve the situation, Tevos approached Udina. When she started talking to him, he pushed her to the ground and pulled a gun on her. Before he could fire, Shepard fired once, hitting him between the eyes.

Just then, three C-Sec shuttles and a Phantom arrived and released numerous C-Sec officers and CUFS marines, which fanned out to secure the area. Bailey and a human Gunnery Sergeant approached them.

"Good work, Shepard. We'll take it from here," Bailey told the Commander.

"Where are you taking them?" Shepard asked as another Phantom flew in.

"We'll take them to either C-Sec HQ or the Confederacy's embassy until we're done," the Sergeant informed her.

As the Councillors and their C-Sec and Confederacy escort left along with Vaator and Ashley, T'Kari turned to the group.

"Thank you for arriving when you did, Shepard. Thanks to you, the Council is still alive," T'Kari said.

"Just doing my job," Shepard remarked.

"Indeed," T'Kari responded before drawing her pistol and firing over Shepard's shoulder.

A Separatist trooper slumped onto the ground by the crashed shuttle he had managed to pull himself out of. A Pelican flew in, turning its ramp toward them.

"Need a ride?" the pilot asked.

"Much obliged, Victor-327," Shepard responded once she recognised the pilot.

As they flew through the Presidium, Shepard looked out of the back of the Pelican at the damage caused to the Presidium. Everywhere she looked, she saw rubble, fires, gunfire and bodies, often in the same place. T'Kari joined her looking out before glancing at the Commander.

"One hell of a wake-up call for the locals, huh?" the asari commented.

Shepard couldn't help but agree.

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